Occam's Razor
by WinterForever
Summary: AU. (REPOST MORE INFO INSIDE) Kaneki doesn't get a warm welcome to his new life as a ghoul. Takatsuki-san just doesn't have that kindness in her. But with no one else to trust, Kaneki falls deeper and deeper into Takatsuki-san's reality. But what if Kaneki's vision also has the will to fight? Who will come out on top? Takatsuki-san has had her pen poised from the start.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

A/N: This is probably the only author note I'll ever put at the front of a story, usually they've be found at the bottom! Anyways, this is a REPOST. It was originally posted under the title "The Dark's Not Taking Prisoner's Tonight". For personal reasons I cleared and deleted that account. I believe I had like 14/15 chapter posted. Since this story is over a year old and unfinished I will be editing each chapter. So you could wait until I get all the chapters reposted, but if you truly liked my story I suggest you just reread it as I post it. I promise it will be better, at least.

I honestly had so much difficulty pulling this all back together. I had deleted my story on the other account in a panic and didn't realize I didn't have a copy saved. Eventually I searched through like four old flash drives and recovered the missing chapters. Thanks to everyone who has stuck out and wondered what happened to my story. I'll try to get two chapters edited and reposted a week, then it will slow as I get caught up and have to actually write them.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Dude, take a breath and sit down," Hide advised good-naturedly, as Kaneki paced relentlessly, making somewhat of a scene in the small coffee shop.

"Sorry, Hide." Kaneki muttered as he collapsed into his seat, causing the metal chair to squeak painfully against the floorboards. He flushed at the thought of the scene he was making. "I'm just really nervous, I guess."

"That makes the two of us. The only girl willing to go out with you must be a serial killer or something." Hide joked as he waved over a waitress. "I'm getting a refill on my latte. You want anything?"

Kaneki shook his head no and looked down forlornly at the book in front of him. Ignoring the sound of Hide hitting on the poor girl -background noise he was used to- Kaneki looked more closely at the cover. _The Thought Process of Ants_ , a new horror novel published under a pen name that underground sources believe might actually be Sen Takatsuki. Half a chapter in and Kaneki was positive all the hype was for nothing. This writer was ok, maybe good, but an amateur at best. Nowhere in the book was Takatsuki-san's signature foreboding air or chilling tone.

But there was a vaguely similar mood that was quickly set, and painfully characterized protagonists that reeked of a poor imitation. The parallels were no accident, and Kaneki was agitated by the pathetic recreation. Why it was no better than fanfiction!

"Uh, Kaneki?" Hide prided gently. Kaneki looked up, dazed. "You ok? I think you're off in Kaneki land."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Kaneki mused, immediately imagining a world where everyone enjoyed the works of his favorite author whilst sipping a nice cup of coffee.

"I think Hide land sounds much better." Hide retorted happily.

"Please elaborate," Kaneki replied, smiling slightly as the whimsical turn their conversation had taken.

"Well, first of all, music would be, like, law." Hide began, "and we would of course be the kings of this world."

"Isn't that kind of a flawed and medieval monarchy? We could become corrupted by the power," Kaneki implored lightly.

"Not if we're corrupted from the start!" Hide explained fiendishly, winking for good measure. Their conversation was interrupted by a cup being gently set in front of Hide. At which point Hide's attention was drawn once again to the waitress and his age old attempt to win her affections resumed. Feeling a bit high on his already teetering nerves Kaneki decided to come to the girl's rescue for once.

"Give it a rest, Hide. Any girl willing to date you has to be serial killer or something." Kaneki joked, parroting Hide's earlier words. Hide laughed it off easily but the girl blanched ever so slightly before scurrying off, face muddled by purple bangs.

"By the way, I totally had a chance with her!" Hide defended weakly, "Anyways, tell me more about this girl you're gonna see."

"Well, I actually met her here. And she's also a fan of Sen Takatsuki." Kaneki mentioned vaguely. The more he talked about it, the more simply impossible she sounded.

"Sounds like a real looker." Hide nodded sarcastically. "Just for the love of all things holy don't take her to a bookstore."

Nothing could keep the red from Kaneki's face at having his planning so easily revealed.

"Come on, dude!" Hide exclaimed, incredulous, face palming.

"Well, we both like books, so it's appropriate enough." Kaneki rebuffed. Honestly, Kaneki couldn't imagine anything better. There was something so cozy and warm about because surrounded by bound pages. How could you ever be lonely when each book holds dozens of characters waiting for you to get to know them?

"No way, man. You lucked out. I have the perfect thing for you." Hide asserted, "The one and only Sen Takatsuki is having a signing tomorrow. So ditch the book club and she can catch you after you swoon at the sight of this author lady." Hide elaborated.

"Thanks, Hide." Kaneki smiled. Hide was probably right. "That actually is a really good idea. But I'm not going to pass out."

"Sure, sure." Hide nodded, "Just try not to drool on her while you're unconscious." With one giant gulp he swallowed the remainders of his drink and let the cup clatter back to its matching saucer.

"Let's get going. Our lunch break is almost over anyways." Throwing down a handful of change, Kaneki stood up, taking the imposter book with him, albeit in distain. Maybe he could abandon it in a book exchange box at the library. But then again, he wouldn't want to subject anyone else to the horrors of the charlatan novel. Maybe he could use it as kindling. Or perhaps give it to a child to shred into bedding for a pet rodent.

The rest of the day passed without incident, if you didn't count Hide's attempt to reveal if their English professor's hair was truly a toupee. Two shoelaces and a broken tack later the pair was dolefully wiping down the chalkboard. Eventually the day's lesson had been cleared and the two went their separate ways.

Which for Kaneki was a night void of sleep despite the repeated applications of a tall glass of warm milk. By the time natural light began filtering through his blinds, Kaneki was looking as pale as his last discarded glass of milk. Which did nothing to hide the bags surfacing under his bloodshot eyes. Yet somehow his energy and by extension his nerves never let up.

A quick shower and half a bottle of eye drops helped with the eyes, but his skin regained little of its normal color, not that it made that much difference anyways. A few hours later he had thrown on an outfit that was decidedly casual but put together, by his own opinion of course, and was nonchalantly standing outside Anteiku, their planned meeting place. When Rize-san walked up he lost any cool he could previously pretend he had. She was seriously the cutest. Her hair was a gentle shade of purple that matched her lilac eyes perfectly. And those eyes were staring right at him.

"Hello, Kaneki-kun." Rize smiled shyly. She stood with her hands gently clasped in front of her.

"Hello, Rize-chan." Kaneki replied awkwardly, "I thought we could go to a signing. Sen Takatsuki actually." Rize smiled, looking pleasantly surprised.

"That's sounds fun. I've always wanted to meet Takatsuki-san." Rize agreed.

Two hours later they were five people away from the front of the line. But amazingly the time flew by fast. Rize wasn't the biggest talker but said just enough to make Kaneki want to share his life story. He even told her about his father who had died as a child and left him books that entertained him for years to come. Kaneki had told few people about his past. Especially of his father. It seemed wrong to Kaneki to try and win sympathy for the loss of a parent he honestly couldn't recall.

Rize, somehow, seemed to understand that Kaneki's sharing wasn't a ploy for attention. Just him wanting to be listened to for once. Just him being selfish. But she didn't seem to mind. And as stupid as it sounds, it made his heart swell.

Kaneki's attention was draw forward when the people in front of him in line skipped off smiling widely. Stepping forward Kaneki was face to face with a literary genius. Who was barely conscious and drooling slightly. Well, Hide was correct in that drool was involved.

"Ah, Takatsuki-san?" Rize asked delicately, leaning down a bit. Instantly the author snapped awake and it seemed like she actually glared at Rize for a moment before regaining her composure. Shrugging the strange behavior off, Kaneki took in the woman. She couldn't have been too much older than Kaneki himself. She was actually kinda…cute. In a way. She was rather petite and had a mess of light green hair fringing off in weird directions. She seemed entirely un-put together and had a strange docile yet clever glint in her eyes.

Overall, she looked like she could be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Kaneki was becoming more cliché every day. Was he reading so much that he was starting to see tropes in everyday life?

"Hellloo!" Takatsuki-san crooned, face rested lightly on her hand. "Oh, what a cute couple! I could just eat you to up!"

"You remind me of my grandmother." Rize bit out randomly. Kaneki looked over, shocked. It wasn't the rudest thing to say, but still rather inappropriate. But Takatsuki-san just laughed nonchalantly, taking Kaneki's copy of her latest book right out his hands. Doodling some random sentiment, she hummed in satisfaction.

` "I'm glad you at least brought one of my own books. For some reason a lot of people are bringing another book. I think it was called _Mentality of Ants_ or something ridiculous like that." Takatsuki-san complained, flipping the pages of the book and relishing at the that breeze toyed with her hair.

"A lot of people think you released that book under a pen name. I bought it but it was pretty obvious, if I say so myself, that you hadn't written it." Kaneki explained. He bit his lip immediately after. Had he sounded proud or snooty? What a stupid thing to say! Of course Takatsuki-san knew her own writing better than Kaneki.

"Ah, and is that because it's too good to be written by me?" Takatsuki-san teased lightly. She now left her face to lay entirely in a single palm. Her cheek squished against her hand as she blinked slow and childlike.

"No!" Kaneki exclaimed, blushing. "If anything, it's the opposite! It's a poor imitation at best."

"…Well I'm glad you think so." Takatsuki-san murmured, smiling oddly. "So…what's your name?"

"Ah, Kaneki Ken." He answered awkwardly. A couple scribbles later and the book was being placed in his hands again.

"It was nice to meet you Kaneki Ken." Takatsuki-san mused, "Please do come to one of my signings again."

After giving his own goodbyes, Kaneki and a silent Rize left. Only after getting a block away did he realized that Rize never got anything signed.

"I'm sorry Rize-chan. It seems I monopolized so much of Takatsuki-san's time that you were unable to get anything of your own signed." Kaneki apologized, "Please accept my book as an apology."

Bowing slightly, Kaneki held the novel out, only to be greeted with laughter. Straightening, Kaneki realized that Rize was giggling.

"Don't worry about it, Kaneki-kun." She assured, "I've met Takatsuki-san several times. I have enough of her signatures to open a store. Just being in her presence once again was enjoyable. Besides, I am glad you had so much to talk about with someone you admire so much."

"Thank you so much for your kindness." Kaneki flushed. She couldn't be real.

The sun was starting to set, and he lived in the opposite direction. Glancing over at Rize, he was surprised to see the girl looking rather pale and fidgety.

"Are you okay, Rize-chan?" Kaneki inquired.

"Ah, yes. It's just t-that.." Rize stuttered, "I'm actually kind of scared to walk home by myself. It's my own fault, really! I've been watching too much TV and they're always talking about ghouls-" The girl paused to take a deep, shuddering breath and tucked a stay lock behind her ear.

"I'll walk you home." Kaneki interrupted gently, "Don't worry. It's true that I'm not very strong but perhaps my presence may be of some comfort."

"Thank you, Kaneki-kun." Rize blushed, smiling slightly. "I live in this direction."

The next half an hour was filled with more easy conversation. Kaneki told her about college, books he liked and Hide, but couldn't help to notice that she had little to share herself. Suddenly, he felt mildly ashamed. He really could be so selfish sometimes.

"I've been talking so much about myself." Kaneki admitted, "Please, tell me more about you." They were currently cutting across a construction site that was deserted for the night. Rize halted in her steps, Kaneki following shortly afterwards. He couldn't help but notice how odd and shifty eyed she looked under the moonlight. When had it gotten so dark?

"I apologize for being so secretive, Kaneki-kun." Rize said in a low voice. Kaneki inched closer to hear her better. "I guess I'm rather shy. But as an apology, I'd like to tell you a secret of mine."

Looking up at Kaneki with demure eyes, Rize extended and closed a finger, motioning for him to come even closer. Blushing, Kaneki complied. Rize's mouth was inches away from Kaneki's ear, her warm breath sending indescribable chills down his back. A small hand gently gripped his upper arm and she leaned against him slightly, letting a small bit of her weight warm Kaneki's shoulder.

 _"I've never bitten off more than I can chew."_

Before Kaneki's lips could even part in reply, a searing pain enveloped his entire left side. Gasping, Kaneki stumbled away. Far enough to take in Rize's entire form, his eyes widened further and his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

Her smile was no longer timid and full of pearly whites, instead it stretched into an animalistic growl, dripping red. The same red that encrusted her eyes. Kaneki's hand flew to his neck, feeling the warm blood pour out unforgivingly. He had never felt so much blood, had never bled so much. It spilled over his fingers, a second later he could feel it dripping off his elbow. It was warm and thinner than he'd expect, but all of that was fell to the back of his mind. All he could focus on was the pain. He had never felt such pain before.

"What's wrong, Kaneki-kun?" Rize asked, voice lilting in a sarcastic imitation of her previous deposition. "Aren't you excited? You can make up for your constant chattering by letting me eat you!"

"I-I don't understand." Kaneki stuttered, backing away in fear, "You're a ghoul!?" Suddenly his back hit a wall. A fear he had never felt before crept into his heart.

"SHH! Be quiet now!" Rize crooned harshly, "Be a good boy and I'll swirl your insides gently." A high, echoing laughter filled his ears.

In a flash she was right in front of him, pinning him against the wall. "You want that don't you? For me?" Kaneki's face contorted horribly as Rize's hand shot forward and began wreaking havoc inside his stomach. He screamed in pain and violently coughed up blood, spraying Rize's face in the warm substance. She responded by smiling wider and collecting what should could with her tongue.

"Don't die too fast now, Kaneki-kun!" Rize chided, "You seemed so lively earlier…" She twisted her hand again relishing in the blood that stained her skin. "Are you bleeding out? Oh how fragile of you…." She leaned close; her warm breath stank of iron and warmed his chilling skin. "Well, if you insist on dying, I shouldn't let this flesh go to waste."

Somehow through all the pain that already existed, Kaneki could feel her teeth gnashing against his flesh over and over again, pausing only for the occasional bout of hysterical laughter.

Just as everything started to fade out in a sea of red, the unrelenting teeth disappeared and his ears where bombarded by the sound of crashing and twisting metal. His eye lids were too heavy to investigate.

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"Wait, this boy….he's still alive!" a deep voice echoed. There were no distinguishable voices for what felt like hours after that sudden outburst. Just metal clanging and strong antiseptic odors Kaneki couldn't quite place.

"What a horrible accident." A young woman's voice commented finally. She breathed loudly, and Kaneki felt a bit of weight on his arm. He still couldn't move or speak.

"What about the girl he was with?" another voiced asked. This one sounded detached, the query was protocol, not concern.

"Dead at the scene. And the boy will be too unless we transplant her organs into him." The deep voice was back. Clipped and serious.

"What? You can't do that! We don't know if she's an organ donor! Her parents could sue the hospital!" the young women shouted.

"I don't really care about that. I only care about saving this boy. If you can't handle it leave my OR." The deep voice bellowed. The darkness in Kaneki's head thickened until he couldn't hear his own thinking once again.

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The light began to fill his eyes in slow lulling waves. First a small streak in a pool of darkness, then a speckling of bright and then finally a sharp stinging white that had his eyes tearing up. He looked around groggily. Everything was a clean white, reflecting and shinning the light into his eyes more so. The only noise was soft beeping and clicking coming from machines circling Kaneki. He was in a bed, under stiff sterile smelling blankets. Everything ached, but not as much as he expected it to.

Sitting up, he looked around slowly. He was in a small hospital room, with a glass door behind which he could see hospital staff shuffling about slowly. One of the orderlies glanced through the door, and seeing Kaneki awake, walked in, waving someone in behind her. Several people were soon filing into the room, staring in awe at the tired boy. They flapped about papers, gesturing between the pages and Kaneki in hushed tones.

"Why don't you guys give me and Kaneki-san sometime alone?" A pleasantly deep voice broke through their hushed chattering. Slowly all the doctors and nurses reluctantly filed back out, throwing the occasional rueful look behind their shoulders. The room emptied to reveal one man standing before Kaneki. He stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Kaneki's shoulder. Kaneki couldn't help but shutter in remembrance of another seemingly gently touch.

"How are you feeling, Kaneki-san?" The man asked, pulling a chair over and sitting down at his bedside. "You've been asleep for a while. Some feared you wouldn't wake at all." Kaneki didn't answer. His throat felt dry and crackly and he wasn't sure he could speak if he tried.

"I, of course, always had faith in you," The man assured. "I'm the doctor that performed surgery on you. You may call me Dr. Kanou."

"What happened to the girl I was with? To Rize-chan?" Kaneki rasped suddenly, remembering what had happened. Rize-chan…she was a ghoul? Yes, she had bitten him, she had ripped him apart. His hand flew to neck, expecting the hot gushing blood and pulsing flesh.

But his skin felt smooth, and unblemished. Had it been a dream after all? Then Rize-chan wasn't a ghoul! She was his friend, maybe something more-

"I'm afraid she was pronounced dead at the scene." Dr. Kanou revealed, painfully dashing Kaneki's hopes. She was dead, but how? If she hadn't tried to eat him after all, then what had happened? Had it been his fault? Kaneki slouched over cradled his head, trying to remember.

"Kaneki-san? Are you listening? You two were involved in a horrible accident. If a passerby hadn't had noticed the commotion, you probably would be dead yourself." Dr. Kanou revealed.

"Accident?" Kaneki looked up at the sound of the word, "what sort of accident?"

"You don't remember? Hmm. Well, you two were found in a construction site. There was a malfunction and some metal rods fell. Rize-san took most of the impact but many of your internal organs were crushed." The man informed gently. "But luckily we had perfectly good organs in that friend of yours."

"…Rize-chan's o-organs?" Kaneki paled, clutching at his abdomen.

"Yes. Her head was crushed and she died instantly but the rest of her body was unharmed." Dr. Kanou explained slowly. "At times like these people tend to suffer from a bout of survivor's guilt. You just lost a dear friend in an accident that should have killed you both. If it helps, you can think of her organs as a dying gift of sorts, to help you remember her better."

Kaneki's grip on his stomach tightened. Something felt completely wrong about this, about everything. How is Rize-chan dead? How is he alive? Why does he still feel the ghost of teeth gnashing against his skin? Why can he still smell the heady scent of blood?

"What about my neck?" Kaneki blurted out.

"…Your neck?" Dr. Kanou slowly articulated, "Does it hurt?"

"No." Kaneki spoke, confused.

"…Should it?" Dr. Kanou inquired slowly. Kankei blinked, put off by his strange wording.

"I guess not." Kaneki sunk back into the stiff mattress, still trying to process it all. Were his bloody memories of Rize-chan just a hallucination he had had under all the pain? Or perhaps under the anesthesia during the surgery?

"Well, if you're feeling up to it, there are a few people waiting to see you." Dr. Kanou offered. Kaneki's first guess was Hide, but he said a few. Who else would come? Kaneki didn't list any of his aunt's family in his medical records so no one would know to inform them. Kaneki nodded, suddenly too tired to ask. "I'll be right back with the first person. I think it would be best if we keep it to one visitor at a time."

When he didn't see Hide's blonde head trailing after Dr. Kanou, he was shocked. When it was instead Takatsuki-san he was astounded. She looked as tired and uninvolved as she had at the signing. She calmly sat down in Dr. Kanou's abandoned chair and motioned for the man to leave. He did so without the slightest inking of concern. Pulling her legs up to her chest on the chair she gave Kaneki a vaguely condescending smile.

"I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here." She giggled despite the serious situation. Kaneki was still too amazed to rely. "Well first of all, thank me for saving you!"

"Thank you." Kaneki complied easily, not even sure what he was thanking her for. The pair stared at each other for a few moments, Kaneki uncomfortably and Takatsuki-san calmly.

"…If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm the one that called the ambulance." She sighed, giving him an exasperated look.

"Oh." Kaneki breathed. Everything was just so surreal.

"For a self-proclaimed super fan of mine, you have horrible deductive skill, Kaneki-kun." Takatsuki-san pouted. "But nonetheless, I was there for you in your time of need! Why I basically pulled you from the wreckage myself! Hmm, this is good. I might be sending my lawyer over to get the rights for this story…"

As Takatsuki-san rambled on and on about little to nothing, the glamour of her appearance faded and Kaneki sunk into his thoughts again.

"But I guess it is a bit droll for my taste. Not nearly enough blood. Say, Kaneki? Did you by any chance have a terrible, traumatic childhood? That could certainly help. Ah, but maybe we should focus on the present. Was it truly an accident? What if it was a cover up? _What if Rize-san was a ghoul?_ " Takatsuki continued off-handedly. Kaneki's head snapped up.

"Did you say ghoul?" Kaneki demanded.

"Oh and what if I did? What do you think, too much? Humans seem so obsessed with the idea that monsters exist, and how it's _us_ that are the monsters. But what about actual monsters, hmm? There's just something so….exhilarating about _real_ monsters." Takatsuki teased, cupping each side of her face. Green nail polish clashed horribly against her skin. "How about you, Kaneki-kun, hmm? What monster is hiding under your bed?"

Kaneki stared blankly. Unsure of how to reply, he just shook his head.

"Ooh, how modest!" Takatsuki-san crooned, winking, "But don't you worry, I'll get it out of you eventually!"

"…why are you here?" Kaneki managed to croak out.

"Do you want me to leave, Kaneki-kun?" Takatsuki asked in mock hurt. She didn't move. "Honestly I thought you would have more questions for me. Like, 'How did you find us?' or 'were you following me?' Oh well. I'll answer them anyways. A distinguishable young lady like me would never trail some couple in the middle of the night. That would be so unrefined! How dare you accuse me of such a thing! Who do you think you are?!" As Takatsuki's voice rose in pseudo anger several concerned doctors peaked in the room only to proceed on their way when they noticed the author.

"I'm sorry?" Kaneki tried to calm her pointless rant.

"Well…I guess I forgive you. But it might take me some time to trust you again." Takatsuki-san sniffled, "Here's my information card, Kaneki-kun. I do believe I will be seeing more of you soon. Or perhaps you'll be reaching out to me? Rize-san and I did have a bit of history; maybe I could answer a few questions?" Takatsuki mentioned casually. Shoving the little square of paper into Kaneki's hands she climbed out of the chair and wandered out without another word. Kaneki stared at the door frame for several minutes afterwards.

Somehow Hide claimed Takatsuki's seat without Kaneki even noticing.

"Dude, I think you're in Kaneki land again." Hide pointed out wearily, "I'm starting to think it's a one way ticket, too."

"Sorry," Kaneki muttered, trying to focus on the situation at hand. "Uh, how many days have I been here?"

"Like a week." Hide informed, "They weren't sure you were gonna wake up after the surgery. You really scared me, man." Kaneki pulled himself from his thoughts to truly examine his friend. Hide looked just as tired and worn out as Kaneki was sure he looked. Instantly, Kaneki felt like a jerk for how much he had worried his best friend.

"Woah." Kaneki murmured meekly, "…so, uh, how have you been?"

"Not so great," Hide pointed out, "My best friend got in an accident."

"Right…" Kaneki flushed at his own stupidity. "I'm sorry I've put you through this, Hide."

"Stop worrying about me; you're the one in the hospital bed." Hide chided softly. "Just rest up! If you miss too much school you'll get held back. And I don't know if I wanna be hanging out with some college freshman next year…" Hide joked.

"Like you could make any other friends," Kaneki smiled. Maybe everything would be okay.

"Ah Kaneki, so diluted." Hide sighed dramatically. Kaneki talked with Hide for hours. They talked of nothing of importance but it was probably the closest thing to normal that had happened to Kaneki in what felt like years. By the time Dr. Kanou popped back in to kick Hide out for the night he had a stack of homework, delivered by Hide himself, and a little bit of his calm restored. He was still confused and wracked with guilt but seeing Hide gave him some semblance of normalcy.

Of course that didn't last two long. He was being held in the hospital for another 48 hours for observation. During which he was completely confined to the bed.

When two days had finally passed he was feeling anxious. Too anxious to eat the whole time. He barely listened as Dr. Kanou told Kaneki he needed to come in for regular check-ups. Somehow the whole experience seemed like a dream as a nurse handed him a change of clothes Hide brought. The feeling only intensified as Dr. Kanou himself held the door of the hospital open for him and waved at Kaneki's retreating form.

He walked mindlessly through the streets of Tokyo, bumping into the occasional pedestrian. He was standing in the middle of a cross walk, people walking around him like water around the rocks in a stream, that it hit him. _The smell_.

It was delectable.

Kaneki looked up to find the source of his mouth watering. He was standing face to face with a little girl with rosy, cherub cheeks, and uneven pigtails who had come to a standstill it front of him.

There was that smell again. Absolutely _delectable._ He leaned closer.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Yuki! Get away from that man!" a shrill voiced hissed angrily, and the object of Kaneki's rapt attention was suddenly yanked from his view. He turned slowly, feeling oddly frustrated as he watched the girl being dragged away by her mother, stumbling and tripping to keep up with her. The mother casted an angry, yet nervous look behind her shoulder. Kaneki couldn't help but notice as she slowly but surely reached for her pocket and took off faster, her daughter having even greater trouble keeping up.

Shaking his head Kaneki quickly pushed through the crowd and hurried home. He didn't want to be there if the police showed up looking for suspicious persons. He probably looked like he was going to kidnap the girl or something. Which, of course, Kaneki would never think of doing. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something entirely delicious smelling about that girl.

It reminded him of when his mother was still around and cooked for him. She never cooked often, seeing as how she was always so busy but when she did Kaneki always swore up and down that it was the best food he had even had. Whether or not that was true at the time, Kaneki couldn't recall, but somehow everything his mother made tasted amazing even if it was burnt or missing a couple vital ingredients. Perhaps the secret ingredient was 'love'? Or most likely he was a little boy that was so happy that his mother had enough time for him to cook up a couple hamburger steaks that he didn't even notice the burnt edges. Kaneki could admit he was a selfish child, although how, considering what a great example his mother gave him did puzzle him even to this day.

But there was no way that little girl could smell like that. The smell didn't even remind him so much of the food as it did the memory. As pathetic as it sounded, Kaneki had tried several times but was unable to even produce a similar scent with his own cooking. When he saw the little girl, already standing so close, he just wanted to be even closer, to relive the memory somehow. When she was snatched away, he almost wanted to growl in frustration.

Kaneki felt horrid for the scare he probably gave the girl and her mother alike. He should have immediately apologized. But what would he have said? That the girl had smelled so much of lost memories that he had get closer, to violate a stranger's personal space? To breathe it in? No. He would have sounded like a pedophile. The girl's mother would have called the police right there at his perverse words.

And who wouldn't have? Had anyone had said the same to Kaneki he would have felt largely uncomfortable. But why was he suddenly the one filled with strange, almost twisted thoughts? Was it the accident? It would be a complete lie to say that he was feeling himself. If anything he was shaken to the core. Kaneki vaguely wondered if the accident had made the news. With all the ghoul activity the public was almost immune to tragedy. But then again, this was something totally different. There was no ghoul on the hunt, just some faulty cables.

Maybe that's why Kaneki had the hallucination of Rize-chan being a ghoul. He, like the rest of the public, was so used to everything bad stemming from the existence of ghouls that, in the moment, he couldn't imagine a completely random and blameless accident occurring. He had morphed it into something foul in his mind.

Kaneki could immediately feel his cheeks darken in a blush. How could he have let himself belittle the memory of Rize-chan, the victim who had lost her life, in an ill-conceived delusion? To say the date was probably the worst Rize-chan had ever had would be an understatement. Had Kaneki not complained about her silence then they would never had paused in that construction site. They would have kept walking, with conflict never befalling them. Rize-chan would have never talked so quietly that Kaneki had to lean in to hear. She would have never offered to share a secret. She would have never bite down his jugular, ripping his flesh from its home-

What was he even thinking? Rize-chan deserved better in death than this. Better than Kaneki's blatant disregard for reality and better than his inability to accept the truth in its grime and unassuming entirety.

But somehow, when he closed his eyes, all he saw was ruby red eyes and warm blood splattering everywhere.

Before he had even realized it himself, Kaneki was home. He didn't even remember walking through the door. Or digging through his bag for the keys. But there they were, thrown on the coffee table. Sighing at his forgetfulness, he plopped down on the sofa and his thoughts wandered to the little girl again.

Maybe he was just hungry and all the stuff he had previously mused over was just him being dramatic. He hadn't eaten in who knows how long. He couldn't stomach any of the hospital food. He had heard that hospital food was notoriously bad but he was unable to keep any of it down even if he did manage to momentarily swallow it. But being outside and surrounded by all those people had restored his hunger. Yes, it was definitely the hospital's ambiance that had nauseated him.

Thinking back to the fond memory that had plagued him earlier he decided he should make some hamburger steak. Perhaps this time he would finally be able to perfectly recreate the smell. And the thought of eating some meat had his mouth watering.

Pushing off the sofa, he walked to the kitchen, trying to remember the recipe. Thirty minutes later he was molding the beefsteak into a patty with his hands. Breathing in deeply, a putrid scent hit his nose. He froze before slowly raising the meat to his noise and sniffing slightly. He immediately gagged, nose crinkling and dropped the slab of meat reflexively. He was, in no means, fond of smelling raw meat but he was nearly certain it wasn't supposed to smell like that. Had the beefsteak gone bad? Honestly he couldn't remember when he bought it but he had only been in the hospital for a few days and he was normally diligent about keeping his refrigerator clean.

Pinching his nose shut with one hand, he used a paper towel to pick up and clean the mess he had made before pitching the lump of spoiled meat into the trash. He then proceeded to hold both his hands under scalding hot water for several minutes.

When he was satisfied that the wretched scent was no longer clinging to his skin he went to inspect the rest of his food. Kaneki opened the fridge door. Everything _looked_ fine. He hesitantly opened the vegetable drawer, fearing that they had spoiled faster. Everything looked fine in there too. He picked up a stalk of celery and carefully examined it. Taking a daring plunge, he bit off a large chunk.

As soon as the fibrous vegetable touched his tongue he retched, making another mess on the floor. He immediately ran to the faucet and rinsed his mouth with water. The only thing Kaneki could compare the taste with would be grass, slimy and speckled with dirt. No-that's not quite right. He would have been able to stomach that. The celery was so much worse, nothing about what just happened felt right. Irritated, Kaneki dug around in a drawer until he found what he was looking for. Unfolding the black trash bag, he stuffed every perishable thing in his fridge into the bag. When he was content with the work he had done, he slung the bag over his shoulder and took the trash out.

When he got back he calmly retrieved a mop and bucket and cleaned the new mess he had made. Kaneki then pocketed his keys and his wallet and headed out for some fresh food.

After a thorough trip to the grocery store he had two plastic bags full of produce in each hand. He might be a starving college student with a bunch of newly received hospitals bills to pay for, but the whole day had him stressed and worn out and frankly, Kaneki was too hunger to fuss over his finances. In fact, half way home he lost all patience and stopped by a convenience store and purchased a bag of chips. As soon as he exited the store he ripped the bag open and stuffed a handful way too large to be polite into his mouth.

None of it got past his tongue. Instead it ended up on the sidewalk outside the store, along with a gasping, disgusted Kaneki. Several bystanders edged way, unable to keep the repulsed looks off their faces. Flushed red in embarrassment and nausea, Kaneki ran off, barely able to hold on to his groceries. He barely made it two blocks before he had to stop to catch his breath, leaning against the wall of some building and dropping his groceries. Gasping, he struggled not to puke again at the mere thought of the taste of the chips. The bag advertised 'real cheese'. Those had tasted more like spoiled dairy to Kaneki. No, that description was still wrong.

"Awh! Poor boy!" A familiar voice crooned as a pair of hands descended on him and began petting his head in a weird mixture of sympathy, and how you might treat a dog. In a matter of a week, Kaneki had grown from being ecstatic to see his favorite author to rather put out. Takatsuki-san smiled gleefully either way. She somehow always appeared at his worst moments. She was dressed as casually as usual today, with her mess of matcha green hair piled into a bun on the top of her head.

"Good afternoon, Takatsuki-san." Kankei managed between gasps. Takatsuki-san's nose crinkled immediately, and then she rolled her eyes at the groceries around his feet.

"Your breath reeks," Takatsuki announced before she began digging around in a canvas bag she had on her shoulder. Pulling out a can she tossed it a Kaneki who barely managed to catch it. Partially because he was still winded and nauseated. But mostly because he had horrible reflexes.

He looked down at the beverage he had caught. It was a can of black coffee. Did she really think that black coffee would make his breath smell at all better? A normal person would offer a mint. Too tired to argue, he opened the can and brought it to his lips. And for the first time that day, he was met with pure bliss disguised as a strong, bitter beverage. He could barely hold back from chugging the drink.

"Much better, yes?" Takatsuki-san asked, "Now, tell your onee-san what's wrong!"

"I don't really know," Kaneki admitted, "I think I might be sick. Every time I eat something it just comes right back up."

"But you seemed to handle that coffee just fine." Takatsuki-san pointed out, wagging her finger disapprovingly.

"That's true." Kaneki replied, staring down in wonder at the can. "And honestly, unless I'm eating food, I feel perfectly fine."

"Maybe you need a change in diet." Takatsuki suggested lightly, winking at the perplexed boy.

"Really? You think so?" Kaneki inquired, "I've always eaten rather healthy food either way…"

"You know, it's perfectly normal for a person to have a change in taste after a traumatic accident!" Takatsuki revealed happily. "Why, I read this one article about a man that became lactose intolerant after having his wisdom teeth removed."

"I really don't see any correlation between those two events-" Kaneki began doubtfully.

"Shh! Don't speak! Friends are supposed to help each other in their times of need. So your onee-san will come over and make you something to eat." Takatsuki-san declared, hands on her hips. Once again Kaneki was reminded of a time where he would have killed to have Takatsuki-san refer to herself as his friend. "Actually, maybe it's best you come to my place….I have better ingredients." Takatsuki concluded giving the groceries around Kaneki's feet another glare.

Not giving Kaneki anytime to reply, Takatsuki-san swiped two of the discarded grocery bags and took off around a corner, a slight skip in her step. Hurriedly picking up the remaining bags, Kaneki tried to not be left behind. Challenging Kaneki's small reserves of athletic prowess, Takatsuki zoomed off, purposely taking the long route. After circling the block twice and dashing through a small neighborhood park, the pair arrived before a modest sized home squeezed beside two other identical houses.

Kaneki once again let the groceries drop as he bent over, gasping for breath. Takatsuki turned around at the sound of the provisions hitting the floor and gave Kaneki an exaggerated look of concern.

"Are you okay, Kaneki-kun?" Takatsuki-san cooed. Kaneki nodded slightly, although still dripping sweat. Takatsuki-san pulled a set of keys out of her canvas bag and went to work unlocking the door as Kaneki bent down to pick up his bags again. Ushering him in, Takatsuki took the bags out of Kaneki's hands and dropped them off in the kitchen before leading Kaneki to the living room.

"Please do have a seat. I'll go prepare us some coffee." Takatsuki-san welcomed, throwing her hands out and smiling widely. Kaneki watched as Takatsuki took off again. Ignoring her offer, Kaneki instead walked around the room. It was a perfectly normal looking home as far as Kaneki could tell. Maybe a little sparsely decorated, but it looked lived in. The living room had a circle of three full-sized sofas with a coffee table in the center, littered with papers and empty mugs. The only thing Kaneki found to be of actual interest were the ceiling to floor bookshelves lining each wall.

Unable to help himself, Kaneki wandered over to the closest shelf, fondly skimmed the spines of the books. Spotting one of his favorites, Kaneki pulled the book off the shelf. Flipping through the book he noticed it was horribly stained with coffee and the corners of several pages were dog-eared. Feeling weirdly sad for the book, he went to set it back on the shelf when he noticed there was a second row of books hidden behind the first initial row. Grinning slightly at the novelty of it, he replaced the book gently.

"See something you like, Kaneki?" Takatsuki-san asked teasingly. Kaneki jumped back from the bookshelf, feeling like a chided child. He turned to face Takatsuki-san he was standing patiently, holding a steaming cup of coffee out to Kaneki, who happily accepted it. Leaning closer, Takatsuki admired her own bookshelf.

"Have you ever read _Frankenstein_ , Kaneki-kun?" Takatsuki-san inquired, cocking her head slightly.

"Ah, no." Kaneki admitted, "Is it any good?"

"I think you might like it. It's a horror story. It is very popular in the west and was actually originally written in English." Takatsuki-san explained, sliding a small book off the shelf. "To truly appreciate the book or any book really, it should be read in its original script. But the Japanese version is nice, too. Please do read it." Takatsuki pressed the book into Kaneki's hands almost forcibly.

"Thank you." Kaneki looked down at the book. He couldn't very well decline a suggestion from Takatsuki Sen. She might be really eclectic, but she was still an amazing novelist.

"Perhaps, after you finish it, we can discuss it?" Takatsuki suggested, "Maybe your insights will be more impressive than that of my editor."

"I doubt it." Kaneki replied. He was known to spend hours mulling over, and digesting a novel but he was no professional.

"Now! Let's take about that new diet you need!" Takatsuki-san switched gears quickly. "Has gluten even been a problem for you?" Takatsuki lead Kaneki to one of the sofa and not so gently pushed him back into before plopping down next to him and depositing her mug on the coffee table.

"What? Er, no I don't think so," Kaneki mumbled, "I really don't think this is necessary."

"Nonsense. Tell me, have you been craving anything out of the ordinary lately?" Takatsuki asked, off-handedly.

"What?" Kaneki asked, shocked. He couldn't help feel like she had somehow been there to witness what had happened earlier. Even if Kaneki was still unsure what exactly had happened.

"Was that a strange question?" Takatsuki-san asked innocently, squinting her eyes at Kaneki. "Throwing up, strange moods, and weird cravings? Why if I didn't know any better, I would have guessed you had something growing inside of you."

"What moods?" Kaneki questioned irritably, "And we both know I'm not pregnant. That's not even physically possible."

"Pregnant? I never said anything about a baby." Takatsuki admonished, eyes widening dramatically. "And don't think I haven't notice! Why, when I first met you, you were blushing head to toe! Are you tired of me now? Am I old news? Do I no longer excite you like I used to?" Takatsuki cried in false anguish, gesturing wildly with her hands.

"Uh, I'm sorry?" Kaneki apologized questioningly and watched as Takatsuki easily calmed down. It was true that he was no longer quite as star struck, but he didn't expect the airy author to pick up on that. But then again he was surprised when she remembered him from the book signing in the first place.

"I forgive you." Takatsuki nodded. "But we should probably get brainstorming on that new diet of yours. Are you feeling hungry now, Kaneki-kun?"

At her words, Kaneki was made aware of a slight pain in his abdomen. He _was_ hungry. He thought of the groceries he had picked up earlier. He had absolutely no desire to eat any of it. In fact, the idea of it nearly had him gagging again. Instead he thought of the little girl who smelled like home cooking. He wondered; if he showed up on the street corner again, the same time tomorrow, would she be there?

Blinking at the weird thought, Kaneki looked up at Takatsuki who appeared to have been talking for some time now.

"Kaneki-kun, are you listening?" Takatsuki asked earnestly.

"No, sorry. What were you saying again?" Kaneki apologized.

"I _was saying_ that you should try alternative lifestyles." Takatsuki repeated sternly, "You need a change!"

"I don't think so." Kaneki rejected. He had gone through enough life changing circumstances to last the next five life times.

"And why not? Do you have obsessive compulsive disorder? Does the idea of change invoke a fear like no other? Did you parents' divorce while you were young by any chance?" Takatsuki-san prodded, growing more and more excitable with each question.

"No, none of that." Kaneki denied firmly, shaking his head.

"Ah, well I see we're going nowhere. Perhaps we should talk about something else? Just make sure you come back and talk to me if you do ever decide to take that plunge. " Takatsuki implored, taking a moment to pick up her mug and sip the now lukewarm beverage before setting it back down. "Do mind if I bounce some ideas off of you?"

Kaneki nodded eagerly at the prospect of discussing something he could actually follow with some interest.

"I think I would like to write about _ghouls_." Takatsuki breathed deeply, giving Kaneki a bad attempt at an evil smile. "Of course I can't interview any actual ghouls…where would I even find one? But I do have you!"

"What do you mean by that?" Kaneki asked, suspicious of the author's intentions.

"Just that you're an avid young reader with a fresh mind." Takatsuki-san blinked harmlessly. "So what do you think? About ghouls? Are you scared of them, Kaneki-kun?"

"I suppose it's only natural to be scared," Kaneki swallowed uncomfortably, unable to help it when images of formerly wide gentle eyes filling to the brim with red, and sharp white teeth stained the same color filled his head. "We are mice and they are cats."

"That's an interesting comparison." Takatsuki-san nodded, "A mouse, even if behind a glass wall will squeak if a cat presses up against it."

"Exactly." Kaneki agreed, "It's a natural reaction. People like to think they're above such basic animal instincts. That somehow by wearing shoes and saying 'please' and 'thank you' they are no longer controlled by basic need."

"So, by those standards, ghouls are just following their own nature. They look just like humans but feel no need to pretend. In the end, are ghouls any more at fault than the cat is?" Takatsuki pondered.

Kaneki didn't say anything. What was there to say? To agree seemed like a betrayal to humanity, to scoff at it, even. To disagree would be ignorant.

"I remember when I was a child, my family had a cat," Takatsuki-san began, unprompted. "It was a perfectly normal cat. Naturally it dragged in dead mice all the time. The first time I found one of the cat's discarded preys, I was scared and upset. How could the cuddly cat that spent afternoons curled up in my lap kill another creature? My parents on the other hand had already had to deal with several dead mice. My father got a broom and a dustpan and threw the thing outside. My mother didn't even look up from her book. When I started crying my father told me it was only natural. But on the other hand, my little brother was just as upset as me. He cried and cried and wouldn't come near the cat for two weeks before he caved. From then on he showed as much indifference as my parents."

"So?" Kaneki asked hesitantly.

"So? So what?" Takatsuki-san retorted. "It was a classic case of humans attempting to show sympathy to a creature they think is lesser than them. It's almost like subconsciously they realize that they are in the same position themselves, that to a ghoul, _they_ are the mice. So why should ghouls feels bad for humans, when humans can only feel bad for mice for a few fanciful moments? It's the same thing isn't it?"

Fake Rize-chan; the one that exists only in his head, the one that tried to eat him surfaced in his contemplations again. Suddenly the sinister look he remembered in her eyes wasn't so malignant anymore. No. It was spirited and giddy, if not twisted. She was playing with him. She was the cat and he was the mouse.

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Their conversation didn't end there, but it did take a more enjoyable turn. They spent the next two hours taking about books; a subject they were both pleasantly well versed in, Takatsuki-san more so than Kaneki. But yet, Kaneki could not help but shift uncomfortably nor could he help noticing Takatsuki-san noticing his discomfort.

By the time the clock chimed ten Takatsuki-san was pushing Kaneki, his groceries, and _Frankenstein_ out the door.

When he finally reached his own home he was more than exhausted, but still hungry. And there was Hide, asleep against his apartment door. Crouching down, he gently shook Hide's shoulder.

"Hide, wake up." Kaneki murmured. Hide's eyes eventually lulled open.

"Ugh, dude, Kaneki." Hide groaned as he stretched, "Where have you been?"

"I was visiting a friend. Come on get up, you can spend the night here. You're already half-asleep," Kaneki explained vaguely. At that Hide was wide awake.

"A friend? Do you even know what those are? The librarian doesn't count." Hide joked, interested in the turn of events.

"Yes I know what a friend is Hide. Now get up. You're probably scaring all the other tenants." Kaneki replied calmly, helping Hide to his feet.

Unlocking the door, Kaneki let Hide in and set the somewhat damaged groceries on the kitchen floor. It only took Hide a moment to pounce on them.

"Dude! You got beef jerky! Can I have some?" Hide hollered from across the room. Kaneki looked over. Hide was holding the package up. The mere sight had his stomach turning.

"Sure, help yourself." Kaneki replied, struggling to keep a blank look on his face. Hide tore the bag open eager and proceeded to stuff his face.

"Want some?" Hide asked, holding the offending bag out to Kaneki.

"No thanks," Kaneki answered honestly. Turning around, Kaneki briskly walked away only to have a hand on his shoulder halt his progress. Pivoting back around, Kaneki was face to face with a solemn Hide, beef jerky discarded on the floor.

"Hey man, do you feel alright?" Hide asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. Just kind of tired." Kaneki asked, gripping his chin lightly. "I'm think I'm just going to go to bed now. But help yourself to whatever."

Hide, still looking rather pensive, released Kaneki's shoulder and allowed Kaneki to walk away and close his bedroom door behind him.

Confided to the four walls of his bedroom, Kaneki fell into his bed face first. He tried to convince himself he would get some sleep tonight. And tried to pretend that somehow Hide didn't smell better than any beef jerky. Flipping on to his back, two eyes stared up at the ceiling. One a familiar grey and the other a dynamic, bloody red.

A/N: A big thanks to everyone who read/followed/faved/review the first chapter! This chapter was original posted nearly two years ago, and I'm glad to have updated it. Fifteen year old me seriously had no clue what a comma was.

For anyone who didn't catch the first A/N, this is a repost from a previous account. If you weren't already reading it, then just ignore that fact and enjoy the frequentish updates, I guess. 15ish chapters are written. I am currently revising and probably won't update more than 1-2 a week just so each chapter has time to breathe. If you already read the first 15 and don't care to read the somewhat revised chapters to come, I implore you to check out my other story because it might be a while. I apologize to everyone I'm making wait around for new-new chapters.

Thanks for reading and please do drop a review, constructive or not I appreciate it all!

~Have a lovely (I mean ghoulish) day!


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